It's Ramadan --- aren't you starving???

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   lrohnerposted 14 years ago

   How the heck do you folks do it? I mean those that observe Ramadan! I went into my local C-store last night, and the guy behind the counter was CHOWING down food. He asked me to wait a minute because he was "breaking his fast". He claims that it's 'easy' to fast for so long, but the way he was chowing on his food didn't make it seem that easy to me!

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      forlanposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Fast just a month in a year. you will be health after that. It need some passion from food and drink, anger, sexual.

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      video lostposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      LOL ... Yes, it's not that easy but it's not impossible
      
      Following is an overview of this special gift; RAMADAN (FASTING)
      
      Fasting is one of the pillars of Islam. It has been an integral part of all major religions. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) fasted for thirty days. Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) fasted for forty days before he was called to prophethood (Matthew 4:2). Similarly Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) fasted for forty days and nights before he was given the Law (Exodus 24:18).
      
      CONTROLLING DESIRES
      Fasting in Ramadan is a part of the broader program that Islam prescribes for man to fulfill his moral and spiritual destiny in this world and in the Hereafter. It is the special worship designed to develop in man the ability to exercise self-restraint and patience for the pleasure of Allah, man's Creator, Lord and Nourisher. Its objective is to give man the power to keep in check his unruly desires and tendencies that make him prone to greed, revenge, anger, provocation and fear; that make him commit various sins, acts of aggression, cruelty and oppression. It seeks to free the human soul and lends it the moral and spiritual strength to promote beauty, harmony, kindness, peace, compassion and justice. The Qur'an says:
      
      " We sent Our Messengers with clear signs and sent down with them the Book and the balance (of right and wrong), that men may stand forth in justice." (57:25)
      
      FASTING FOR TAQWA
      Prescribing fasting the Qur'an says:
      
      "O you who believe, fasting is prescribed to you as it was to those before you, that you may (learn) self-restraint." (2:183)
      
      The original Arabic word translated here as self-restraint is taqwa, which has a much broader significance. It symbolizes that basic mortal quality that demarcates the line between morality and amorality, and distinguishes humans from animals as moral beings. It represents love of good with an eagerness to respond to it, and a strong desire to keep away from what is evil and harmful. Those who are neutral or immune to questions of good and bad, justice and injustice, compassion and cruelty, loyalty and treachery are in the words of the Qur'an like the blind, deaf, and dumb cattle, whose only concern in life is to fill their stomachs."They have hearts wherewith they understand not, eyes wherewith they see not, and ears wherewith they hear not."
      
      DEVELOPING TAQWA
      This moral quality is nourished and can be developed only by controlling and keeping in check one's desires, impulses, and emotions and that is precisely what fasting is prescribed to achieve. The Arabic word for fasting used in the above verse is siyam which means to leave something or to avoid it. In the light of this, Islamic fasting may be defined as the worship in which man willingly forsakes his quite legitimate needs like eating, drinking and other lawful pleasures in compliance with the commandment of god, every day for a whole month, Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. Thus Islamic fasting is not merely leaving all that is evil. The Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) said: "When one of you is fasting and someone abuses him or fights with him, he should tell him `I cannot respond to you for I am fasting.'" On another occasion he said "He who does not leave evil only gets thirst and hunger from fasting."
      
      Through fasting we seek closeness to God by obeying him sincerely and carrying out his will in our daily life, our actions and thoughts, till our days and nights bear witness that He is dearer to us than anything else. Look at the time schedule of a believer during this month; getting up early before dawn for a light snack, stopping all eating and drinking all day, being anxious to devote himself to prayers and adoration of God, eagerness to do good and eschew evil, and during the nights of this month to stand in prayer for hours, sacrificing sleep and comfort, offering special extra prayers: more or less like one of a soldier under rigorous training. The only difference here is that it is not just one physical battle he is training for, but an all-comprehensive and continuous war against evil, both from within and without.
      
      SPECIAL REWARDS
      It is well known that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) regularly observed fasting in other parts of the year besides Ramadan, and he always exhorted his followers to do the same. But it is in the month of Ramadan when the entire Muslim community all over the world observes fasting that a special meaning emerges. It transforms fasting into an institution that elevates the human soul to unprecedented heights. The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Every good deed is rewarded from ten to seven hundred times over, but God says fasting is the exception; it is for Me, and My servant forgoes his eating and drinking for my sake, so I Myself will reward My servant for it."
      
      GIFT OF QUR'AN
      Association of fasting with the month of Ramadan reminds us that it was during this month that Allah perfected His blessing upon mankind by giving us His last book, the Qur'an.
      
      "Ramadan is the month in which was sent down the Qur'an as a guide to mankind, also clear (signs) for guidance and judgement (between right and wrong). So everyone of you who is present (at home) during that month should spend it in fasting." (The Qur'an, 2:185)
       
      Fasting in the month of Ramadan thus takes on a new spiritual and moral significance. It is the month in which we celebrate the praises of our Lord God for the great gift of the Qur'an. We glorify Him and extol His holiness by fasting during this month. The Qur'an not only shows man the right path, but also guides human reason and lays down a clear criterion between right and wrong, good and evil. It is not just a book of do's and don'ts, but is the repository of infinite wisdom, and a guidance to the highest moral and spiritual excellence as well as to material and temporal success. The Qur'an regards human reason as the greatest single gift of God to man, and addresses its message to it, but it can function properly only if it is free and objective in its outlook. Fasting helps free human reason from the tyranny of unruly lusts and appetites, whims and caprices, individual and social, which often overwhelm and enslave it. Fasting puts human reason back in the driving seat by restraining, not suppressing or destroying three dominant human desires: desire for comfort, desire for food, and desire for procreation of his species. The Qur'an liberates human reason from the clutches of blind but powerful and unbridled emotion and sentiment.
      
      THE STRAIGHT PATH
      Following the path of good is often unpalatable, and involves struggle against one's own desires and interests. It may also sometimes mean doing or saying what one considers true but is not popular and hence risking the anger and displeasure of others, sometimes of those most dear and near. To stand firm under these circumstances steadfastly following the right path requires a great deal of inner strength and self-restraint - a prime moral and human quality - to choose what is right and then abide by it notwithstanding the difficulties and sacrifices. "Wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there are that follow it," whereas "strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads to life, and few are they who find it." (Matthew 6:13-14)
      
      Islam seeks to guide man onto the path to eternal life and prepares him for it through worship, prayers, charity and fasting. All these are meant to enable man to exercise control over his own life and have the moral courage to take the path of truth, justice and compassion. It wants reason to take charge of the ship of life and steer it wisely and safely through the stormy and dangerous seas of this life under the guidance of Divine Revelation. That is the message of Ramadan. Let us heed the message and proclaim: " God is my Lord and your Lord; then worship Him. This is the way that is straight." (The Qur'an 3:51)

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   Eaglekiwiposted 14 years ago

   I did the 40 hr famine once, it was ok.
   
   How many hours does Ramadan last for?

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      lrohnerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      It's like 30 or 40 days. They can only eat before sunrise and after sunset. But it happens in the summertime so the days are LOOONG!

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         Eaglekiwiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Oh ok , yea probably more a learned thing though , like traditions n that Im guessing.
         
         Not of offend anyones religion , but reckon it would be a good health cleansing tonic too.
         
         Drinking waters ok ? then nah fasts are good for the body.
         Some places ,health spa's charge n arm n a leg for the same benefits .
         Thats just my theory , ive just finished dinner and german chocolate cake ...ssshhh

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         Eaglekiwiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         So before 7am and after 8?...aint too bad, big breakfast would help..

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            lrohnerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            I'd be up at the crack of dawn making steak and eggs with home fries and a side dish of one huge cheese omelet! Barfing all day would probably make me forget I was hungry!
            
            When my son was in high school and on the varsity soccer team, one of his teammates observed Ramadan. Unfortunately, games were usually around 4:00pm or 5:00pm, so the poor kid was completely weak by then!

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   Crazdwriterposted 14 years ago

   30 or 40 days? Wow I give them definite props! I know I couldn't do it. I would faint too many times

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   tksenseiposted 14 years ago

   Being hungry is no fun. I've had a lot of students who struggled through Ramadan because they would stay up late chowing down and then wake up too late to eat before sunrise and have to wait it out.

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      lrohnerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      You're a teacher, TK? I had no idea. Kudos to you! And yup, I know what you mean about those poor, calorie burning, always-hungry-even-if-it's-not-Ramadan kids. Don't you just want to sneak them away and give them a hamburger???

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      Eaglekiwiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Yes I can see how the discipline of not eating lunch might mess with people, but on the other hand ,as a culture ( Western) we tend to eat more than our bodies really need anyway , and definately too much crap , just generalising but ya get my gist.

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         tksenseiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         The hazards of success?

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            Shaul Steinposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            we are a fat society and constantly think of our belly and our wants!!!
            
                  

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               Eaglekiwiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               When you try to go without food thats when you really notice how our society is obscessed with it, TV, Radio, Newspaper, Magazines ,Books ,Billboards, Flyers, Signposts, Vehicles, even music.

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               tksenseiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               Everyone does, only the successful have the option of indulging the impulse.

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                  Shaul Steinposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  we think of them more because we feed them more...it is an addiction!

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            Eaglekiwiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Success is measured in many ways.

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               tksenseiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               So it is.

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   Shaul Steinposted 14 years ago

   this is not a boast, just an accounting.
   
   i have fasted many, many times in my life.
   
   1 day 1 x each year
   
   2 days x about 10
   
   3 days x about 7
   
   7 days x about 3
   
   21 days only once went to work all those days too. i only allowed myself water, a little coffee, maybe some juice to keep blood sugar up so i could work.
   
   it is actually harder to stop eating, then start and stop etc. because once your body knows it won't eat it gets use to it, but if you "tease it" then it wonders what in the heck you are doing?
   after the 3rd day you start to become almost weightless and things do not bother you, you could care less about pettiness.
   you start to become really aware of the spiritual realm and that is what you must be in tune to to carry on past a certain point, but it's best to have strong spirituality before attempting anything like this, esp. a 7 or 21 day fast.
   all of your physical senses become extremely keen and aware, but at the same time you do not react in the same way you normally would so to speak.
   you move slower, take naps for a little here and there and carry on.
   it's not like you forget about what you learned either after you start eating again, if you do it often enough you start to develop it a better grasp of spiritual things and act differently.
   

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      lrohnerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Shaul, I only have one question. WHY?

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   Shaul Steinposted 14 years ago

   because of spiritual reasons. it's about discipline and teaching oneself that you do not live on food alone.
   
   denying your appetites is good for you.
   teaches you self control and learning that when you are weak, you can still behave.
   and other reasons like forget about me and concentrate on GOD.

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   Eaglekiwiposted 14 years ago

   Im addicted to coffee ,good coffee ,but my heart dont like it as much as I do ,so we have a plan ...

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   Animosity Rebornposted 14 years ago

   It's about 15 hours this year. It's pretty long but I'm here in Canada (thankfully). People in Dubai, Pakistan, India, etc. those hot placesit is very hard for them. Since you are not allowed to drink either. I used to have trouble fasting but not anymore. If you have good intentions (for anything) it is never hard.

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      Shaul Steinposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      yeah it's like learning anything else, but the strange thing is that people do not want to learn to go without food, the worship food.
      in the scripture it says their belly is their god....meaning their appetites.

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   emievilposted 14 years ago

   I think it's more on their dedication on their religion and their beliefs. I have a staff once who was the only Muslim in our office. She was observing Ramadan while working (sometimes she was still working even until 9 in the evening). During that time, she was often pale and weak but she still worked and fasted. When I asked her once if she was still okay, she just smiled and say she was ok. I never asked her again because I can see from her face that she is committed and that she is happy in what she was doing.

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    Shaul Steinposted 14 years ago

    people often go without food and live, unless it's for a super long time.
    no harm done and fasting is actually great for you to do.
    
    a healthy person can go 40 days before they start to die.

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       tksenseiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Well, you START to die long before that, but people can hang in there for a while if the conditions are right and they still take fluids.
       
       
       And, of course, it sucks.

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    Paragliderposted 14 years ago

    Ramadan lasts exactly one lunar month, new moon to new moon, so it's 28 days. You are supposed to rise early to eat before the sunrise prayer, then abstain completely (food, water, smoking) until after sunset.
    The lunar year (12 months) is 355 days, so Ramadan advances by about 10 days per year. When it comes in August, like this year, it's very difficult for outdoor workers here in Qatar, where temperatures can be in the high 40's (115 Farenheit).
    I think it's good to show solidarity and respect by not eating in the daylight hours in Muslim countries, but I will always drink water, in private, because dehydration is simply unhealthy.

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       SweetiePieposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       The end of Ramandan is quite joyous I have heard, so at least that is something to look forward to.  I hear the feasts are great .

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          Paragliderposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          That is true. Ramadan ends in a holiday called "Eid al fitr" (I think). Which is a major celebration akin to Thanksgiving in many ways.

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             emievilposted 14 years agoin reply to this

             The end of Ramadan is really a joyous occasion for our Muslim brothers and sisters. Here, when Ramadan ends, the whole country is on holiday .

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                Paragliderposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                Here too (Qatar)

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    Shaul Steinposted 14 years ago

    Jesus ate nor drank anything for 40 days and nights and so did Moses.
    But they were quite different.

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    Plants and Oilsposted 14 years ago

    Ramadan is very tough in the UK in the summer, because we are so far north. I think London is about the same latitude as the south of Alaska.
    
    I was talking to a Muslim mate this morning, and they are fasting between 3.30am and 9pm, something like that.
    
    And it's not just no eating, no drinking either, not even water.
    
    On the other hand, when Ramadan falls in the winter here, it's easy. In December, it means fasting between 8am and 4pm, something like that.

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       video lostposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Fasting in Islam involves abstinence from three primal physical needs of human beings- food, drink, and sexual intercourse from pre dawn (approximately one and a half hours before sunrise) to sunset during the entire month of Ramadhan.
       
       In Islam the month of Ramadhan is based on the Lunar Calendar, Ramadhan is the name of one of the months of Lunar Calendar of Islam. As per Islamic Lunar Year Calendar, no month comes at a fixed season unlike the Solar Year Calendar. And that's the beauty that the month of Ramadhan keeps on changing for all the countries and does not fix itself at a particular season, date and time for a particular place.

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    My Friend Shiylohposted 14 years ago

    My friend says the pure motive to fast should be love.

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       tksenseiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       I dunno, I love food. Being hungry sucks.

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          My Friend Shiylohposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          My friend says that when love comsumes you,  love becomes food and drink.
          That physical food is a mere shadow.

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             tksenseiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

             No, it really fills your belly.

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                My Friend Shiylohposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                My friend says:
                It soon is empty again, like a shadow it comes and goes.
                Love is not this way, it neither comes, nor goes.
                It remains.

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                   tksenseiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                   That's why you eat again. You might want to leave the 'love as digestion' metaphor go, it's bound to get disgusting.

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                      My Friend Shiylohposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                      My friend says:
                      Love respects your request, love does not seek it's own way.

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    tksenseiposted 14 years ago

    Is love always this annoying?

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       My Friend Shiylohposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       My friend says:
       Love can be perceived that way by those who find love hard to understand.
       Love is patient.

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